Sorry, folks. The storm had me busy for several days.

The rules are flexible, but not to the point of being abused. It's OK to have a VERY FEW of your packs having less than 10 seeds. They are very welcome if they are on the above wish lists.

As for getting seeds back, it is based on the number of varieties sent in, not the total number of packs.
And at this point, unless there a lot of late joiners with smaller donations. it looks like it will be about 40 more varieties going back, than you sent in.

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO JOIN, but because of the storm I'll likely answer any new to joining emails through Monday morning.
I'm still having a few cuter problems but I'll try to post a large update Friday.

A small update of non-specific "types"...

any Amish
any Beaverlodge
any black
any blue
any Boar
any Brandywine (Glicks, Croatia, Yellow-Platfoot, etc...)
any Campbell's
any currant
any dwarf indeterminant
any green
any heart
any Heinz
any Icicle
any Marizol
any Mikado
any Mortgage Lifter (Estler's, Pesta, Halladay, etc...)
any striped
any white

I emailed you earlier to join. Thanks!

(arm twisted) ok, I'll find time this weekend to go through the seed bin and see how many varieties I can come up with, and go through my notes to figure out my most-wanted. Then I'll have to enlist the lilliputians to put tiny seeds into tiny envelopes and write tiny labels.

In other words, I'm in.

Another #1 wish list update...

(~10 seeds wanted unless indicated otherwise)

Lycopersicon cheesmanii
Anna Maria's Heart (20)
Ancient Roman
Blue Berry Blend (40)
Brianna
Captain Lucky (40)
Fish Lake Oxheart (40)
Gregori's Altai
Horvath (20)
Indian Reservation
Italian Tree Tomato
Kasacshastan Grune Fleshe
Kolb
McKinley (40)
Plum Tigress
Rhoades
Tarasenko 6 (20)
Tondo Nero

I should ask, is anyone holding back sending me their package, so they can first review this wish list? At another site, I have a few people who are. The final list will likely be Saturday.

Packages are requested to get to me by Feb 24th.
A few filled requests were sent out today.

Gary

A few questions for the experts since I've never done this.

How much postage should I include for return mailing?

I have hundreds of seeds in large zip lock bags by variety. What's the best way to create small seed packs to keep the weight low for future mailing?

Thanks for any help! I did a search but came up pretty unsure on how to send mine in.

Kevn, I brought in my envelope to the post office, seeds in it but not sealed and had them tell me how much was needed. they said three stamps. I included a little extra for the return in case any bonuses ended up making the envelope a little pricier to send back, I sent in somewhere around 20 or so packs of tomatos. So if you are only sending a few packs, 3 would probably do it, more and you should send 4-5 stamps. Better safe than sorry.
As for small seed packs, some people use paper coin envelopes, available at office supply stores and you can write on the envelope . At my local stores the coin envelopes cost around 13 dollars for about 500 envelopes. I trade a lot and go through a lot of packs of seeds and those are a bit too pricey for me. I go to the dollar store or Walmart and buy 2x3inch zip top plastic bags in the craft section near the beads. 100 bags for about 1 dollar. then I head to the office supply section and pick up a pack of white labels (1x3 inches, 72ct, about $1) that I cut in half and then they fit nicely on the little bags. Some people use the plastic bags but cut a piece of paper into little squares that fit inside the baggies and use those to write on. Others just write directly on the baggies with a permanent marker, however this can wear off and smudge when touched.

Thanks for the detailed and thrifty reply Mermaid! I don't have a lot of varieties but I have a lot of seed packs to give. Last year was my first year with a real garden and saved a ton of seeds. I was always jealous of these exchanges when I lived in the desert and could only grow the varieties that could live in 100 degree heat!

This is my first year doing the big exchanges too, and I'm loving it!

Mine went out today.
Debby

Mine went out today.
Debby

Gary, I am still waiting on your address to send in my seeds.
Thanks!
Heather

I need a mailing address please! My pkg was ready to go until I realized I didn't have the most important part.. your address..lol Please email me with it.

Thanks!

I'm posting here when the computer isn't crashing.

Emails for my address are sometimes not coming through if sent through originating at Gardenweb.

My way to put small amounts of seeds into lots of packets...

2" x 3" clear poly re-sealable zip bags (in the craft/bead section of Wal-M***, 100 for a dollar)

Your own paper insert with info inside with seeds

Smallest bubble mailer to fit it all in

Return postage is about 2 dollars.

Don't fret the cents.

There are those who have sent extra, knowing it is likely a few might completely forget the return postage

Mine are mailed :) Tracking #: 9400109699939602374011
I mailed 31 packets, 13 varieties. My #1 Choice was Topaz.
Thanks!

I sent my seeds in a while back, but evidently I failed to post that I had. My #1 seed request was for "Galapagos". - Gary, did you receive the email I sent way back at the beginning of this? And you got the seeds, too, right?

The swap is closed to new traders, but if anyone who did join earlier hasn't received my mailing address, please email me. Please do not originate the email through Gardenweb, as some emails routed through there are not getting through. Mostly, I'm using an alternate site for open and private communication. I'm Tormato, here and there. I'll be off-line until Monday, when the bulk of package will start to go out.

Gary

It looks like mine will arrive the 26th.
Do you mean you will start mailing packages back to people on Monday? My package does have a few #1 wishes in it.

This post was edited by gr8heather on Sun, Feb 24, 13 at 3:20

I mailed my seeds about a week ago and also neglected to post. I hope you received Gary!

Packages will go out ASAP, depending on filling wish lists. Also, a few packages are arriving to me a bit late (No big deal to me). Some easy to fill wish list (very short) packages went out a week ago.

In the mail the past two days...

IN Ba F
NE Hi C
NY Pe J
CA Ol K
MT Mc J
NY Jo M
OH Be S
MO Hi H
TX Pu J
CA Crystalline
GA Mi F
NC Se J
UT Ke D
OH Co B
CT So-Br D
TN Ch E
OR Ko T

...and I ran out of tape, for now.

I'll try to get southerners next. I'm about 25% done.

Received mine today thank you so very much!!!

Hi Gary,

I received my tomato seeds in the mail today. Wow - this ought to keep me busy for a couple of years! I can't believe how many seeds you sent back, and such interesting varieties! In addition to filling just about all of my wish list, there were many interesting varieties I had never heard of, which I am now more familiar with after spending a couple of hours reading up... Neat stuff - I can't wait to try them out next year (this year's plants are already in the ground...). A lot of different blacks and blues - I'm curious how the varieties will compare and how some of the newer crosses will do.

Thanks so much for the fantastic swap!
-Julia

Hi Gary,
I received mine today too with many of my wishes filled, and much more packets of seeds than I expected to get back. Thank you so much!

There are a number of varieties that are completely new to me. I'll be busy researching tonight. Thanks again for hosting and taking great effort to fill wish lists. I hope you enjoy doing this.

Thanks everyone for sharing. Have a great growing season!

I think the last of the send-ins have arrived. Going out today...

IN Ki C
NY Sm D
OH Ko K
IL Wa J
UT Be M
NH Hi B
UT La K
ID Jo M
OR Ki P
CA An L
CA Th A

About 50% of packages have gone back out. Hopefully, most of the rest will go out Monday.

There were many requests for "blue" tomatoes. Very little came in. So, I split the blue varieties into ONE seed per pack. Some of these seeds are very, very tiny (but it's in there).

Recieved my package, and all I can say is WOW!! What a grand bunch of varieties. Thank you so much for hosting splendidly!! :-D

WOWWOW!! What a lot of tomato seeds, I am a new gardener and I had no clue there were so many tomato varieties. Thank you so much, I will spend the next few hours just researching tomatoes and peppers I got from the pepper swap. I will be starting seeds this weekend. I am super excited, thank you all so much for fanning the flames of a new gardener!!

Connie

WOWWOW!! What a lot of tomato seeds, I am a new gardener and I had no clue there were so many tomato varieties. Thank you so much, I will spend the next few hours just researching tomatoes and peppers I got from the pepper swap. I will be starting seeds this weekend. I am super excited, thank you all so much for fanning the flames of a new gardener!!

Connie

I'd like J Morris, D Starr, and L Naugle to please email me. I cannot find any email addresses, and I have no wish list varieties included with your packages.

Gary

I received my seeds yesterday and my goodness, what a treat! I appreciate all the time and effort you put into coordinating this swap, Gary. And thanks to all who participated.

Seeds recieve! Thank you everyone, and thank you Gary.

Thank you so much for doing this! So much respect to you Gary! I opened the mailbox today and found the bubbler returned. I can't thank you enough... After careful inspection, I see you sent me a lot more varieties than I sent in, and so many from your own personal collection. You are very good at writing on tiny pink and yellow paper strips, lol. The SNFLA variety gave it away as you!

My only complaint is; now I need a larger garden.

I just want to say thanks to everyone who participated. This is what it's all about. Working together despite our differences.
Good luck to everyone on the upcoming growing season!
Cross-posted at another forum..

I so agree with you kevn357! A much larger garden is needed and a huge thanks to everyone who has made the need for a larger garden a necessity!!!

Got mine today! Just finished entering them all in my tomato seed database. WOW that was a big job. I got about triple what I sent in. I got back about as many varieties as I sent in from my wishlist, and about twice that again in other varieties that I didn't realize I needed until I looked them up. ;-) Thank you, thank you Tormato for all your work, no doubt that took a lot of hours on your part, and I got to feel like I won the tomato seed lottery :-)

Thank you Gary for hosting the swap and for the other people who were most generous. so many seeds so little space=get more space. cant wait till this summer to try them, didn't even know so many varieties exsisted.

These went out a few days ago... ( I couldn't post due to a Pantene pop-up that went on...and on...and on)

WI Br C
VA Mc S
NY Wa C
TX Jo E
OR Wr D
FL Ra P
CA Ku T
IN Ti S
OH Mc D
UT Br H
MD Wo K
and today...

NY Do S
RI Se J
IL Go C
GA Wi W

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Looks like I have some work to do. Thank you Gary for your long hours and organization. What else can I say but smooth very smooth. Now hurry up and wait.

Packages going out today...

UT Te A
PA St D
OH Na L
NE Ge L
FL Mo J

I think the last few packages will go out on Friday.

Gary

I got mine yesterday, and I LOVED it! I can't decide what to plant, everything I look up have both great flavor ratings, and other amazing attributes!
Thanks!

Got mine today, now it's decisions, decisions, decisions. I'm very happy with this swap. The varieties are great. Now just need to decide what will go in the ground this year.

Thank you,
Debby

Going out today...

CA Bo F
CA Ha G
KY Gr G

Just one more package left to go, for which I have to slip into my greasy bean collection.

Wow! Mine came today. I am so overwhelmed with tomatoes! Big thanks to Gary for all the hard work and everyone for sharing all the awesome tomato seed.

What a super fantastic surprise in my mailbox today! WOW, I agree, a much larger garden is needed and a huge many thanks to Gary and everyone! I am so excited!! Thank you!

Yowsah! My seeds arrived yesterday! Man-O-man, what a tremendously generous amount, and such an impressive variety! I mean "Elbonian Mud Ball"? "Zogola"? "Shadow Boxing"? "Black Pineapple"? "Casino Chips"? "Seattle Wooly Blue Mammoth"? "Kosovo"? "Stump of the World"? Wow! - Thanks so much everyone, and especially to you, Gary, for hosting this! Totally awsome!! :)

I received my seeds! Thank you for the wonderful assortment! Thanks for hosting!

Gary, what a nice selection of varieties, now...which ones to plant (first)?

Thanks, Eh?

Gary,

Kardia Karpos would be my first choice for you, because it would be nice to get next generation seed back. ;)

Cryptid,

U2/Elbonian Mudball is not yet a variety. It is F2 seed of a black tomato that showed up in my garden.

Gary

Hello Just picking out my seeds for this year. Many thanks to all that donated. Great trade

Wow! I can't believe how many seeds I got! Too many for me to put one in of each variety this year for sure. Haha Thanks again for doing this. I'm looking forward to doing it again next year. :D

I'm in. I guess I'll email you for the address.

Wrong thread Rob. This was last year's swap. Current thread for 2013-2014 is linked below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Incredible Edibles - 2013 swap